Category: Naturopathic Medicine

The fortitude demonstrated by cancer patients and survivors is truly remarkable. With numerous reviewers on Leafly using cannabis to combat the effects of various types of cancer, chemotherapy, and related medications, we’re constantly inspired by the positivity, bravery and determination that shines through their stories.

Today, on National Cancer Survivors Day, we honor these individuals. The following are just a sampling of the strains that have helped cancer patients deal with the physical, emotional, and psychological effects of their condition as they fight toward joining the ranks of hundreds of thousands of cancer survivors across the nation and around the world.

“AK-48 has helped me in so many ways with respect to my cancer. My appetite has resumed as normal, I sleep GREAT, less depression, moments of bliss, less pain and increased level of hope for survival. It is, without a doubt, my personal favorite.” –Good-juju

There isn’t a lot of research on cannabis as a treatment for fibromyalgia, but clinical studies using synthesized THC for symptom management shows promising results. Still, there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence in Leafly’s strain reviews alone to show that cannabis is certainly providing much needed relief to many of those willing to experiment. These 10 strains, according to our user-submitted strain data, seem to be doing the trick.

If you’re often feeling bloated or gassy, there are simple things you can do to help. These tips and tricks will help you alleviate your tummy troubles naturally. Read on to find out how you can beat your bloat today.

Examine Which Foods Might Contribute

While it might seem that feeling bloated happens at random times, it’s important to try and look for patterns. Often difficulty digesting certain food types can contribute to a feeling of being bloated by increasing gas production in the intestines. Dairy is the classic example. While you might not be outright lactose intolerant, you may have a mild intolerance that leads to bloating. Take notice and reduce or cut out the foods you find.

Insomniacs, this list of sleepy cannabis strains is for you. You’re tired, but your eyes just won’t close. You toss and turn until you’ve tried every humanly possible position. You wake up clouded, lethargic, and irritable. Insomnia is the worst, but luckily cannabis is shown to be an effective and safe sleep aid for many people. It can slow racing thoughts, dissolve pain, relax muscles, and deliver its own sleepy chemicals to help you fall and stay asleep. However, as many have testified, finding the right strain is key.

We put together a list of 10 particularly sedating strains to give you an idea of what to look out for on your next visit to the dispensary. But first, some tips to keep in mind:

In 2007, after 11 months of diarrhea and extreme stomach pain, Fatin Phoenix Ward was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. “I was on steroids and cortisone for several months,” she says. “But I had numerous side effects and my colon was still swollen. My stomach and colon were starting to feel like they were decaying on the inside, accompanied with diarrhea as well as erythema nodosum on my legs and elbows [an inflammatory condition characterized by inflammation of the fat cells under the skin, resulting in tender red nodules or lumps that are usually seen on both shins], which lead to extreme pain in my elbow joints and affected both legs. I wasn’t able to straighten my arms and grab things, nor was I able to walk for several weeks. I was paralyzed! I was completely dependent on my family’s help. The pharmaceutical drugs I had to take did not really help, but rather made everything worse, as I’ve suffered from many side effects affecting my skin and my mobility for months. I found myself in the darkest hour of my life. The pain was so strong that I couldn’t sleep, stay awake or even think straight, and it seemed that no cure was available.”

Naturopathic physicians combine the wisdom of nature with the rigors of modern science. Steeped in traditional healing methods, principles and practices, naturopathic medicine focuses on holistic, proactive prevention and comprehensive diagnosis and treatment. By using protocols that minimize the risk of harm, naturopathic physicians help facilitate the body’s inherent ability to restore and maintain optimal health. It is the naturopathic physician’s role to identify and remove barriers to good health by helping to create a healing internal and external environment.

Sleep: the great equalizer. It’s our proverbial “reset switch”. We quite literally can’t live without it, and yet societal pressures often force us to forego sufficient sleep in lieu of a perpetual need to accomplish more:make more money, have more friends, make more of ourselves. This desire to acquire comes at tremendous cost though: less long-term quality of life. The quantity and quality of sleep we get is connected to the dietary choices we make, and in a cyclical fashion those same dietary choices can impact how we sleep. Finding a way to break this cycle is a crucial step in regaining optimal health for those who get less-than-optimal rest.

“The quantity and quality of sleep we get is connected to the dietary choices we make, and in a cyclical fashion those same dietary choices can impact how we sleep.”

420 is not so much a time or place as it is a state of mind. A stoned state of mind, to be specific. In the past, HIGH TIMES has reported on various competing theories surrounding the appearance of this unique bit of smoker slang, but as the following timeline clearly shows, the controversy has been resolved. The original story of 420 begins with five fellow students — all of whom assumed the nom de pot Waldo — who met after school at the appointed hour to smoke some of California’s finest, and occasionally searched for a hidden pot field they’d heard about in the hills outside town.

1971 – Five San Rafael High School students christen the term “4:20,” meeting daily at that hour to share a smoke under the school’s statue of Louis Pasteur. The original password: “420 Louis.”

1972 – Carmen Electra is born on 4/20 in Cincinnati.

1973-1989 – 420 languishes in obscurity, passed along from stoner to stoner as a completely underground “grassroots” phenomenon.

Heartburn is something that most adults will experience during their lifetime. It is characterized by an uncomfortable burning sensation right behind the breastbone that often times creeps up the throat, and is a symptom more so than a disease. It is caused by acid reflux, which occurs when the ring of muscle that allows food into your stomach (the lower esophageal sphincter, or LES) relaxes when it shouldn’t. The result is acid from your stomach goes back up your esophagus, which then causes the sensation of heartburn. Think about it…its acid burning your throat…ouch! It’s actually possible to have reflux without heartburn, but it is not possible to have heartburn without reflux. While over-the-counter and prescription medications are available, if you suffer only from occasional heartburn, lifestyle changes and heartburn home remedies may be the route you want to take.

1. A spoonful of baking soda

A spoonful of sodium bicarbonate, or teaspoon-full to be exact, can help put an end to the gnawing, burning, sensation of heartburn caused by acid reflux. Baking soda, as sodium bicarbonate is more commonly known, can help your reflux and in turn help your heartburn because it is a base substance. It has a pH higher than 7.0, and therefore neutralizes stomach acid. Neutralizing the stomach acid means that if/when your LES decides to be lazy and acid comes up your throat, you don’t get “burned.”Continue reading “15 Natural Remedies for Heartburn & Severe Acid Reflux”

Oregano

Health Perks

“I think of dried oregano leaves as miniature salad greens,” Bazilian says. One teaspoon contains not only six micrograms of bone-building vitamin K but also the same amount of antioxidants as three cups of spinach. And preliminary research indicates that oregano can help fend off stomach flu. “Bacteria often hitch a ride on the food we eat, and oregano may keep them from multiplying and making us sick,” Bazilian says.

How to Use It

To make salad dressing, heat one tablespoon of olive oil, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and one-half teaspoon of oregano in a small pan over medium-low heat for two minutes, or until the mixture smells fragrant, Baum says. Drizzle over spinach with a splash of red wine vinegar.

Give canned soup an upgrade by stirring in one-half teaspoon of oregano.